Free BT installation deal discussion

wadeall

I called up this morning to be told that the only offer that was available was a tripple provide option inc line rental, braodband and TV which was expensive and not what i want. (My main aim is to dump Virgin media for O2 broadband as VM has a horrendous traffic shaping policy which means my Broadband is pathetically slow with them.

I called again this evening and firmly asked for the free instalation deal amnd spoke to a much better informed guy who took my order. Some points of clarification: If you have an old BT line which is "still connceted at the exchange" you can take just a 12 month contract. If your previous BT line was disconncetd long ago or its a new build, then they will insist that you take a 18 month contract. You have to make a min of 10 calls a month or 30 calls a quarter to avoid a charge of about GBP7 a mnth/20 a quarter re the connection. So if like me you may be away from the house for over a month, you may wish to elect for quarterly billing.

utilitybroker

SEE: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=25618571&postcount=509

Heinz

wadeall wrote: »

I called up this morning to be told that the only offer that was available was a tripple provide option inc line rental, braodband and TV which was expensive and not what i want.

The '18 month offer' for free connection is available to anyone who asks for it but BT staff are not allowed to pro-actively offer it. However, they can use it as a sweetener to try to close a deal with those who might take out the broadband and vision tv service, which, with all three services, is known as a triple provide.

I am told that there is a great deal of pressure on BT staff from 'those above' to sell the vision products and some are going to any lengths to hit their targets to avoid the threat of disciplinary action. Bear in mind that many are disposable agency staff.

BT staff get a bonus for all the products they sell and obviously the "triple" is the golden globe (although bonuses have been drastically reduced recently, a triple provide used to earn a £30 bonus whereas that's nearer to £10 now).

Gardenlover_3

I tried last night to get a free BT line and had no problems - I wondered what the fuss was all about! However, I had to wait about 15 mins for someone to speak to and just as my order was going through my temperamental cordless phone died on me. I tried ringing back again last night on my mobile but after waiting 10 minutes got a lovely message that the call centre had closed!! When I tried ringing back today I've been told the offer is only available if you take it out with the broadband and vision package. When I asked for the call I made last night to be looked into I was told they didn't know who the operator was and they couldn't check it. I wonder if the busier they are the easier it is to get the free line deal?! Has anyone got any link to the BT website which shows this free offer as the only link I can find refers to the closing date of 30th September?? Help!! Thanks in advance...

utilitybroker

Gardenlover wrote: »

Has anyone got any link to the BT website which shows this free offer as the only link I can find refers to the closing date of 30th September?? Help!! Thanks in advance...

The link you have is apparently the latest one, the BT Rep confirms the offer has been extended see here : http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=25618571&postcount=509

People are still getting the offer !!!

Call them again on 0800 100 444 and ask for the Customer Options Team and say you want the BT landline only free connection offer. Dont be put off.:D

graham54

I've just rang BT and spoke to their sales team who told me the offer ended at the end of September. I had a quick look on here and had a look at what Oulondo said (you must speak to the Customer Options Team). I rang back, spoke to them and they gave me the deal after using some 'poetic licence'. I told them I was a returning customer (after 4 years away) and they are setting it up. £122.50 will show on bill and will then be deducted. It's £12.50 a month line rental but when it's set up I go on-line and sign up to paperless billing (£11.25). That line includes free evening calls too.
It sounds like pot luck on which operator you get. I would just keep ringing back until someone says yes!!

Ypaymore

graham54 wrote: »

It's £12.50 a month line rental but when it's set up I go on-line and sign up to paperless billing (£11.25). That line includes free evening calls

No it does not.

The 18 month contract free connection offer only includes inclusive not free weekend calls.

If you want inclusive evening calls you pay extra.

"Calling Plan monthly charges, including line rental, associated with this offer are:

Unlimited Weekend Plan £11.25* Inc. VAT
Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan £14.20* Inc. VAT
Unlimited Anytime Plan £17.20* Inc. VAT "


http://www.serviceview.bt.com/list/public/current/Notice09_boo/FrameworkImpl337855.htm#FrameworkImpl337855

wadeall

All of this may seem like complete BT incompetence but I suspect its delib erate policy. Essentially what they are doing is price discriminating. There are people out there maybe 90% ? who re not interested in shoppping around for the best deal and will just pay the set up fee whatever it is. Another chunk of the market - almost everyone on this site of course is very price sensitive. BT doenst want to lose these people but doesn't want to lose the GBP122 it gets from most reconnect customers either so it makes it awkaward to find out aboout and get the deal so that only the most persistent will get it.

Virgin media are playing a similar game. I called them today to say i wanted to leave and you get throughto the most sensible and sympathetic person you have ever spoken to at VM who ofers you a deal to stay. In my case they offer to bump me up to the L from the M broadband package which allows 4.5G of peak time downloading before you get traffic shapped. The downside is that they lock you into a 1 year contract with GBP10 per month per service penalty charge fior unused months if you leave within ayear.

Annan

I've recently moved into a new build property/flat, the rooms are fitted with sockets but no dial tone. When I contacted BT about the free connection offer they said they couldn't detect that there was a line at the building so I would need to pay the £122 connection charge.

They said that if I dialed 17070 on a phone in the property and it returned an ID that it would mean that I could get the free connecton. But when I tried dialing 17070 nothing happened.

What does all this mean? Why can't I get the offer?

Heinz

You can get the offer.

Call again and ask for the COT (Customer Options Team).

Don't forget the T&Cs though - 18 month contract and make 10 chargeable or inclusive calls per month.